Economy

The Athens Stock Exchange General Index closed at 2,603.34 points, with losses of 0.39%.

Tourism receipts for January-August 2026 rose 9.4% to 18.2 billion euros

Greece's current account deficit rose by 2.4 billion euros in the eight months from January to August 2026 and reached 8.9 billion euros, according to the Bank of Greece.

Γαλλία και Σαουδική Αραβία συμφωνούν παράταση πρόσθετων παραδόσεων ντίζελ

Ο Γάλλος πρόεδρος Εμανουέλ Μακρόν ανακοίνωσε την Τετάρτη από το Ριάντ συμφωνία με τη Σαουδική Αραβία για παράταση των πρόσθετων παραδόσεων ντίζελ προς τη Γαλλία.

Η υπουργός Δόμνα Μιχαηλίδου παρουσίασε νέο σύστημα επισιτιστικής βοήθειας, όπου οι ωφελούμενοι θα λαμβάνουν vouchers και θα επιλέγουν οι ίδιοι τα είδη και το κατάστημα.

The session of Tuesday, 20 October 2026 on Euronext Athens closed with a positive sign, and the General Index of Prices at 2,610.22 points, up 0.26%.

Public debt stood at EUR 358.647 billion at the end of Q2 2026, from EUR 368.613 billion in the corresponding quarter of 2025.

Giorgos Pitsilis, Governor of AADE, took part online in an international workshop organised by the governments of Pakistan and the IMF, held on October 20 and 21, 2026 in Islamabad.

Με εγκύκλιο της γενικής γραμματείας Εμπορίου του υπουργείου Ανάπτυξης αποσαφηνίζεται η εφαρμογή των ρυθμίσεων που θεσμοθετήθηκαν τον περασμένο Απρίλιο.

Increases in energy and fuel prices are bringing the heating cost back to the forefront for thousands of households ahead of winter.

Brent price rises above $110 on supply concerns

Oil gained more than $1 on Wednesday as escalating tensions in the Middle East fuelled fears of supply disruptions.

Η Black Friday 2026 θα πραγματοποιηθεί την Παρασκευή 27 Νοεμβρίου, ενώ η Cyber Monday ακολουθεί τη Δευτέρα 30 Νοεμβρίου.

Producer and chairman of the Nileas Producers Group, Giorgos Kokkinos, made statements to OPEN about the situation in Messinia and olive oil prices.

French 10-year bond yield tops 5%

On Wednesday 21/10 the yield on France's 10-year government bond rose above 5%, the highest level since 2002.

The draft law of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance was put to public consultation on 18 October, will remain open until 1 November and is scheduled to be voted within the same month.

PPC and WE4ALL partnership for regeneration of Northern Evia

For the third consecutive year, the PPC's partnership with WE4ALL in Northern Evia continues through the 'Sustainability Seeds' programme.

Philip Morris International published an economic footprint study for the EU, prepared by EY-Parthenon.

The Public Debt Management Agency (ODDHEX) held an auction of 26-week Treasury bills worth 400 million euros on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.

Attica Region presents a new international tourism campaign for 12-month tourism

The Attica Region is presenting a new international tourism campaign aiming for 12-month tourism and greater revenue, and it will be presented by Regional Governor Nikos Chardalias.

The Dow Jones rose by 529.85 points or 1.02%, closing at 52,495.88 points.

Two surveys, by Circana and Brands Mirror, were presented at the ECR GATHERING 2026 event at the DAIS multipurpose venue.

easyShop.com, the new online shopping platform of the easy brand family of Stelios Haji-Ioannou, began operating in 21 European countries, including Greece.

The Amsterdam Court of First Instance awarded Macedonia Thrace Brewery (ZMTH), producer of Vergina beer, total compensation of 111 million euros, in the dispute with Heineken and Athenian Brewery.

Getty Images announced on Wednesday (21/10) that it has filed with the competent court in Delaware, under Chapter 11 of US legislation.

Ο γενικός κανόνας προβλέπει σύνταξη στα 62 με 40 χρόνια ασφάλισης ή στα 67 με 15 έτη.

SEV and the Federation of Cement Workers, Technicians and Employees signed a new two-year sectoral collective labour agreement for the cement industry, valid from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2026.

Από την 1η Νοεμβρίου 2026 αλλάζουν τα δεδομένα στις προσλήψεις και τους μισθούς, μετά την εγκύκλιο του υπουργείου Εργασίας για την εφαρμογή του ν. 5316/2026.

The price of Dutch futures contracts for natural gas reached as high as €90.16 per megawatt-hour, the highest level since December 2022.

Joint Decision A.1224/2026 was signed, under which the myDiesel digital application of AADE will go into operation from 1 November 2026.

Environment and Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou said at the energypress conference that the government is considering targeted support measures for small and medium-sized enterprises against energy costs, within fiscal limits.

Anthropic's net losses widened to $80.7 billion in the first half of the year, according to a draft prospectus for its planned initial public offering.

Bank of Cyprus announced the completion of the acquisition of a portfolio of performing loans of about EUR 130 million and deposits of about EUR 440 million from the Cyprus Development Bank (CDB).

Elon Musk considering merger of Tesla and SpaceX

On Tuesday (20/10), in a video conference with analysts on SpaceX's quarterly results, Musk confirmed that special committees have been set up at both companies to examine a possible merger.

The ECB forecasts a new wave of food price increases for 2027, as rises in energy and fertiliser costs and the effects of drought pass through to agricultural production and the supply chain.

Ryanair CEO warns of major increase in air ticket prices

Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary spoke at a press conference in Brussels on Tuesday 20/10.

Ο διοικητής της κεντρικής τράπεζας της Λετονίας και μέλος του Διοικητικού Συμβουλίου της ΕΚΤ, Μάρτινς Κάζακς, αφήνει ανοιχτό το ενδεχόμενο νέων αυξήσεων επιτοκίων αν ο πληθωρισμός παραμείνει υψηλός.

Trading in the shares of Capital Maritime Finance began on the Main Market of Euronext Athens on Tuesday, 20 October.

Goldman Sachs maintains its target price for the National Bank at 18.75 euros, with a Neutral recommendation.

The yield on the French 10-year bond exceeded 5% on Wednesday for the first time since 2002.

The Federation of Greek Bakers is calling for the immediate introduction of an emergency state subsidy for the energy costs of bakeries, in an open letter to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Ο Κεν Γκρίφιν προειδοποιεί για υπερβολικές αποτιμήσεις στην Τεχνητή Νοημοσύνη, ενώ οι επικεφαλής της BlackRock και της Deutsche Bank εμφανίζονται αισιόδοξοι.

Evangelos Mytilinaios, Executive Chairman of METLEN, spoke as keynote speaker at the 11th Financial Times Energy Transition Summit in London.

Two European NATO member states awarded Theon International contracts with a total value of about €45 million for the procurement of night vision systems.

Across the EU as a whole, fuel and lubricant prices for personal transport rose 31.4% year on year in September.

Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance Dimitris Markopoulos took part in the Delphi Economic Forum Toronto during his three-day visit to Canada.

Οι πληρωμές από e-ΕΦΚΑ και ΔΥΠΑ φτάνουν τα 71.780.000 ευρώ και θα πιστωθούν σε 83.420 δικαιούχους.

The Application Guide for the new "Home Renovation" Action of ESPA 2021–2027, with a total budget of 500 million euros, has been published.

The Hellenic Real Estate Company of the State (ETAD), a subsidiary of the National Development Fund, is implementing a pilot programme for leasing agricultural properties.

According to the British statistics agency ONS, annual inflation in Britain stood at 3.5% in September, up from 3.1% in August and 2.9% in July.

Papoutsanis' net profits in the nine months of 2026 stood at EUR 5.2 million, up 9.1% from EUR 4.8 million in the corresponding period of 2025.

The rating agency DBRS examined the capital position of 40 European banks.

Eurobank Equities raises the target price for Cenergy to 29.50 euros from 25.30 euros and maintains its Buy recommendation.

Registered unemployed at DYPA stood at 655,023 people in September 2026, a decrease of 65,016 people (-9%) compared with September 2025 and a decrease of 62,903 people (-8.8%) compared with August 2026.

Dardanel Greece's turnover stood at €25.88 million in 2025, up from €25.52 million in 2024, an increase of 1.4%.

At its first Investor Day, the Fourlis Group presented a plan through 2029 with new IKEA stores, expansion of Foot Locker and selective development for Intersport.

Fourlis held its first Investor Day, titled "Shaping What's Next", in Athens.

VG Holding's turnover in 2025 reached EUR 115.1 million, up 8.7% compared with 2024.

DBRS reports that Greek banks recorded the largest reductions in credit risk costs in 2026 among European banks.

Passenger traffic across the country's airports rose 4.8% in the first nine months of 2026, with 71,665,899 passengers compared with 68,386,113 in 2025, according to the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority.

GSEVEE: Only 3%-5% of small businesses receive bank financing

Only 3%-5% of small businesses say they have received financing through bank loans, while their own funds remain their main source of financing, according to the semi-annual surveys of IME GSEVEE.

Σύμφωνα με τα προσωρινά στοιχεία της ΕΛΣΤΑΤ, οι αφίξεις στα καταλύματα τον Αύγουστο του 2026 ανήλθαν σε 7.429.931, αυξημένες κατά 2,6% σε σχέση με τον Αύγουστο του 2025.

Those who do not cover 30% of their income with electronic receipts risk an additional 22% tax, with leeway until the end of 2026.

The Israeli ambassador visited the Ministry of Finance on 20/10 and met with Kyriakos Pierrakakis.

Amazon announced on Tuesday that it plans to hire more than 300,000 workers for the holiday season in the US.

BriQ Properties recorded a 17.8% increase in adjusted net profit after tax for the nine months of 2026, to EUR 9.7 million.

TREK Development undertakes project at the port of Lavrio

Η TREK Development ανακοίνωσε την ανάληψη του έργου προμήθειας και εγκατάστασης Πλωτών Κυματοθραυστών και Προβλητών στον Λιμένα Λαυρίου, για λογαριασμό του Οργανισμού Λιμένος Λαυρίου.

Pierrakakis comments on the 2027 budget and fiscal policy

Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis presented the state of the economy and the measures on incomes to the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs of Parliament, during the debate on the draft State Budget for 2027.

The new bill of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance provides for two interventions to support pensioners, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

The programmatic contract for the digital transformation of the Ministry of Transport was signed on Tuesday 20 October 2026.

Connection of Folegandros to the mainland electricity system via a new interconnection

Folegandros is now supplied with electricity from the mainland electricity system, via Naxos and Santorini.

Evangelos Mytilinaios, Executive Chairman of METLEN, spoke on CNBC's Squawk Box Europe and stressed the need for Europe's strategic autonomy.

The Competition Commission unanimously approved the merger of CrediaBank with Europe Holdings, with the latter being absorbed by the former, under decision 921/2026 of October 19, 2026.

Volkswagen plans to freeze the salaries of its 660,000 employees worldwide until 2030, the group's works council said on Monday.

GEK TERNA is launching the process for a possible issue of a seven-year bond worth 500 million euros, with meetings with qualified investors from Monday, October 19, 2026.

Halcyon Equity Partners invests in the company Proionta Zymis Rodoula

Halcyon Equity Partners S.C.A SICAR announced an investment in Rodoula Dough Products, aiming to strengthen its growth in Greece and abroad.

Waterdrop, a hydration products company based in Austria, is expanding into the Greek market.

Greece ranks 23rd among the 38 OECD countries in the 2026 International Tax Competitiveness Index, published by the Centre for Liberal Studies in cooperation with the Tax Foundation.

Elikonos Capital is acquiring a minority stake in A. Vezyroglou S.A., Greece's largest producer of baby leafy vegetables, through its investment fund Elikonos 3.

According to the economic institute Ifo, at the end of 2025 Germany's industrial companies employed around 496,000 fewer workers compared with the beginning of 2019.

Σε δημόσια διαβούλευση αναρτήθηκε το νομοσχέδιο του Υπουργείου Εθνικής Οικονομίας και Οικονομικών με τα μέτρα της 90ής Διεθνούς Έκθεσης Θεσσαλονίκης, τα οποία εφαρμόζονται κατά τα έτη 2026 και 2027.

Cash primary budget surplus for the nine months January-September 2026

The state budget recorded a primary surplus of 2.5 billion euros in the nine months from January to September 2026 on a cash basis, compared with 10.1 billion euros in the same period last year.

Payments totalling €32.34 million for aid under the two Pillars of the CAP were made by the Ministry of Rural Development and Food and AADE.